Get Guardian on GoogleI, hereby, pay my tribute to the late Ambassador Ibironke Adefope, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Zambia and Malawi, who passed on Monday, June 9, 2025 at an Abuja hospital. She was aged 73.
The late Ambassador Adefope (nee Vaughan) was a scion of the distinguished Egunjenmi Akinloye family of Itutaba Area, Ibadan, Oyo State.
A great unifier and public-spirited Nigerian, Ambassador Adefope was well-educated at home and in the United States of America, where she received her university education. Nevertheless, she didn’t lose touch with her roots.
Both she and my wife, Chief Adetokunbo Alabi (nee Laditan), the first Yeyemeso of Lalupon, were friends and classmates at the famous Saint Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan. They entered the school as freshers in 1965.
Due to the mutual respect between us, the late Ambassador Adefope called me ‘egbon mi’ in public, while I reciprocated by calling her my ‘aburo.’ People referred to us as two peas in a pod.
The fact that we both were very close to the late Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao (CON), a successful businessman, philanthropist, the first Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland and Vice-President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria.
In 1993, we both joined fellow patriots to form the MKO Abiola Dynamic Group. It was actually Ibironke who gave the group its name. I was elected the founding Secretary-General of the MKO Abiola Dynamic Group and she became a trustee.
The group consisted majorly of non-politicians, but rather technocrats, who wanted an end to military rule. And we succeeded.
However, 23 years ago, when she celebrated her golden jubilee birthday in Lusaka, Zambia, where she was serving as Nigeria’s High Commissioner, and Malawi, I was the natural choice as compere.
In his tribute to the late Ambassador Adefope, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, rightly described her an amazon. I will miss her wise counsel, no doubt.
I pray to God to grant the kind soul of Ambassador Adefope perpetual rest in Heaven. Amen.
